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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22965373">Ego's End</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jalecro/pseuds/Jalecro'>Jalecro</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Ego's End Verse [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Jackepticeye egos, Markiplier Egos, Matpat Egos, Video Blogging RPF, Youtuber Egos - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>2nd Gen Egos, Angst, Broken Families, Bullying, Don't copy to another site, Dysfunctional Family, Ego's AU, Ego's End AU, Ego's children - Freeform, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Orphans, Post Apocalyptic AU, Reality War</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 13:26:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,470</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22965373</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jalecro/pseuds/Jalecro</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Celine lost many friends to this war, and the knowledge that they will never return is something she has struggled to accept. Despite her partner’s protest, she struck a deal with the stragglers and here they are twenty-odd years later with 6 ungrateful brats, a disillusioned doctor, Jim and James, and a guy literally known only as “Mad”.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Antisepticeye &amp; Celine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Ego's End Verse [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1650403</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Set the Scene</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anxiety_Induced_Writing/gifts">Anxiety_Induced_Writing</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is a more coherent reworking of my tumblr for Ego's End AU - askegosend - and I intend to post any major plots/stories to here for clarity.</p><p>This is seperate from Protection Verse, exists within it's own timeline, but is a canon alternate universe that reachable by certain characters from Protection Verse/Counter Verse.</p><p>Hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s been over two decades since the war beneath the surface of reality was lost and the world truly went to shit. Global disasters, political crises, the world is in shambles. Countries are at each others throats, diseases are spreading, quality of life has tanked, and the planet is figuratively burning. And why? Because every single Remarkable was drawn into the fight, and when it was lost, so were many of them. There’s no real evidence, and no one left who could ever find it, but Celine knows better.</p><p>She lost many friends, people she considered family, to this war. People she had felt she’d known her whole life, gone in an instant and the world continues on like nothing even happened. Invisible to those who don’t know what they’re looking at.</p><p>Coming home to the empty tables was more than Celine could handle.. She had an idea, a stupid idea, a crazy idea, to carry on their legacies. To use illegal Genesis Stasis Pods (GSPs) and samples still retained by Dr Iain Iplier to create the children her family would have no doubt eventually birthed themselves. Not as you would assume, natural born children are very rare nowadays thanks to the development of GSPs. It was chronic overpopulation and standarised sterilisation that pushed it to the forefront, not to mention the countless reproductive regulations.</p><p>Now ‘trying for a child’ doesn’t mean getting it on morning, noon and night. It requires applications, assessments of your home and financial situation. Background checks, mental stability, basically anything and everything about you that can have an effect on a child is tested before you’re considered to be given access to the GSPs.</p><p>They’re supposed to work as kind of surrogate wombs, a safe, stable, easily maintained place for a child to grow safely and securely with no risk to either parent, and significantly decreased risk to the child as well. All it needs is 1 or 2 sources of DNA. Infertility is no longer a problem, and due to the strict regulations, there’s less strain on the care system as well.</p><p>Though as with any market, a sub-market grows, and the demand for illegal GSPs is high, able to bring in a hefty amount of moolah even with only a 60% Genesis success rate.</p><p>Celine has never asked where Jim and James got the 3 illegal GSPs they did, but to be honest, it’s not that important. Maintaining them was a little more complicated. There are very few practical electricians/mechanics/robotics expert left out there. Most of them are theoretical in their work, and those that do get their hands dirty would turn tail at the mention of illegal GSPs. Besides, “Mad” has probably forgotten more than they’ve ever learned.</p><p>Mad was never really part of the family in the old days. Not even a friend. He’s more of a tool, a means to an end and that’s always worked for them thanks to his….let’s say ‘fragmented’ grip on reality.</p><p>All he asked as payment for maintaining the GSPs was the genesis of a child from a DNA sample he would provide. Celine didn’t really ask questions, there was no point, and it was a simple ask. The sample birthing twins made things a little more complicated.</p><p>Six children were birthed in total before the GSPs gave out and between Dr Iain Iplier, Jim and James Millet, Celine Moore, and with occasional help from Mad, they were raised, told of their heritage and gradually most of them began showing signs of their parents’ Remarkability.</p><p>Anti McKeon, Unremarkable and Celine’s partner, refuses to be a part of this sick scheme of hers. All he knows of the war was all his friends leaving, one by one, even Celine. Thank fuck she came back to him.</p><p>He doesn’t see the point in holding on to the past. They lost. They’re dead. Boo hoo! They should move on, not desperately cling to the past through a bunch of ungrateful shits who will only open old wounds. But Celine is Celine, and when she gets an idea into her head, there’s no stopping her.</p><p>So here they are twenty-odd years later, with 6 ungrateful brats, an often inebriated doctor, two whacko freaks, and a guy who’s literally known as “Mad”.</p><p>Welcome to Ego’s End.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Ash</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There’s a spark and Ash flinches, tearing her wrist from Mad’s fingers, flexing their fingers and glaring at him.</p>
<p>“That hurt!”</p>
<p>“Then stop moving.” Reaching up he grabs Ash’s right hand and pulls it back down, continuing to work on the cybernetic prosthetic</p>
<p>Mad’s voice is gruff and worn, kind of like the man himself. His hair is a mess, and his entire body is littered with scars from who the hell knows what the ass has been through in his life, the most prominent one being the deep scar across his right eye, running from his hairline to half way down his cheek.</p>
<p>Mad was never a part of the war, at least that’s what Celine says. Despite his obvious high level of intelligence, he’s always been considered an Unremarkable. Even Celine didn’t think him anything of significance until they first noticed Léo and Mat showing sure signs of Remarkability.</p>
<p>The prosthetic is of Mad’s own creation and matches the one that replaces Ash’s right shin and foot as well. A necessary ‘upgrade’ after complications with Ash’s Genesis lead to the need for amputation. Maintaining it is pretty much his only responsibility at the moment, which is probably for the best. He’s not what you’d call a uh….people person.</p>
<p>Eventually the maintenance is finished and Mad returns his tools to the weird pouchy bag thing he first pulled them from.</p>
<p>“Thanks.” Ash grumbles and Mad only grunts in response, turning and freezing in place.</p>
<p>“Uh….” One of the Patrick twins stands in the doorway, and guessing by the sheer panic in the wide eyes beneath his floppy brown hair, it’s most likely Mat. This is awkward. “Celine wanted to see Ash…?”</p>
<p>There’s barely a beat before Mad grabs his worn and battered long jacket, haphazardly throwing it over his shoulder, grabbing his tool pouch and pushing past the twin in the doorway.</p>
<p>Mat backs as far against the doorframe as he can, holding his breath as they cross paths, only letting it out as Mad stomps down the corridor without looking back. Though he does call over his shoulder.</p>
<p>“Stop punching walls!”</p>
<p>Ash rolls their eyes. Yeah that’s not going to happen.</p>
<p>“You okay?” Ash asks as Mat stares after Mad.</p>
<p>“Does it matter?” he mutters before catching himself and waving the question away. “Go see Celine.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Q - Lock Anon</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hey! quick question; Why the fuck is Ash punching walls so much? - 🔒</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Where an ask on tumblr inspires/contributes to an update, the chapter will be titled 'Q - [question asker]' and the summary will be the question/ask itself</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So what did this wall do?” Mat asks as they walk towards Celine’s office. He’s not needed for the meeting but Mad went the other way and it’s been a few days since he last talked to Ash so where’s the harm?</p>
<p>Ash shakes their head in mock disapproval. “It called me weird.”</p>
<p>“…Didn’t the last one do that?”</p>
<p>“No, the last one called me a bitch. And the one before that insinuated my mother is a whore.”</p>
<p>Mat chuckles and Ash smirks. Good. He needs to smile more. It doesn’t help that Raven and Kadin are both asses when it comes to the twins. Constantly reminding them about the whole shit-show with Mad. It’s not like they don’t know they’re not wanted. Everybody knows.</p>
<p>“But seriously,” Mat presses. As entertaining as the jokes are, he’s always been curious about why Ash attacks walls, seemingly out of nowhere.</p>
<p>Ash doesn’t answer, falling very conspicuously silent. It’s not something they can just put into words. Sometimes they look at the world, around at the warehouse, maybe glimpse one of the older Egos, and get caught up thinking what a shit hand they’ve been dealt. Born illegally, isolated from society, with no real family. Feelings of inferiority, fears of inadequacy, and the pressure of their legacies. Sometimes it all builds up, you know. The trauma, the anger, the fear, it builds up until Ash has just got to punch <em>something</em>, just so it doesn’t just well up and consume her. Besides, the prosthetic is easily fixed. So it’s not like it bothers anyone except Mad.</p>
<p>Thankfully, the need for an answer is quickly interrupted by a shrill voice and a loud crashing from inside Celine’s office.</p>
<p>“I think you’ve got it from here.” Mat stammers, before quickly disappearing.</p>
<p>You can hardly blame him. There’s only one person in these parts who’s as loud and entitled as that screech implies, and Raven has a tendancy to take her anger out on the weakest person in the room. Nine times out of ten that would be Mat.</p>
<p>Ash leans against the wall by the door and opts to wait until their ‘conversation’ is over before knocking.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Questions? Input? Ideas?<br/>While I have plot points I want to hit, this story is very open and I hope to develop it with interactions from readers.<br/>check out the Tumblr<a> to get involved.</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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